YPG unveils brand-new hangar during ribbon-cutting ceremony
The nearly three-yearlong project began in December 2021
On April 9, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially dedicate a new two-bay hangar.
The Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command Flight Detachment will operate out of the facility, and tenant units like the Military Freefall School (MFFS) will utilize the hangar as well.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Jones is the detachment commander, and he noted the significance of the nearly three-year-long pursuit.
“Operating multi-million-dollar airplanes in the desert environment is particularly troubling when it comes to maintaining them and keeping them operational. Having them exposed to the elements where they are now, it tends to increase maintenance issues and maintenance times,” he noted. “Having a hangar like this allows us to perform the maintenance and operate here in an environment that will preserve them so they can be used in training and special operations missions for years to come.”
As for when the hangar will begin being used, Jones said it’ll be operational “as soon as we cut the ribbon,” adding, “We have an airplane already positioned in here.”
MFFS Commander Maj. Nicholas Garver also spoke about how the hangar “is a huge benefit to the freefall school.”
“Flight detachment is critical to what we do out here,” Garver shared.
“Having this facility helps us become more efficient. We do about 48% of all Department of Defense military freefall jumps out here, and without the flight detachment being part of our family, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish that.”
“Prior to this, we had the old hangars. The old hangars still met mission and helped support our operations, but with this new facility here, it’s going to be easier for our mechanics and pilots to maintain our aircraft so we can get our students back in the sky,” he continued.
Lt. Col. Stephen Brooks, Deputy Commander of the L.A. District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, outlined some of the specifics about the project.
“This is a $50 million aircraft hangar in support of the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. We had the contract initiated in August 2021 with Harper Construction, and we broke ground in December 2021. We’re just happy to be here cutting the ribbon to soon officially open the hanger,” Brooks said.
Ronald Harper, founder and chairman of Harper Construction, told the Yuma Sun that the hangar is “a beautiful project” that ultimately “helps the country.”
In addition to the hangar, the facility also houses a center for flight planning and communications, and the project will support military pursuits for years to come.